Football Accumulator Tips: Saturday 9/1 FavFour backs Man Utd win

Newcastle vs Burnley – Newcastle

The first leg of our Saturday FavFour comes from the North-East as Newcastle United entertain Burnley.

Newcastle will be looking to maintain their positive momentum after impressive performances in the Premier League and Carabao Cup. 

Both teams advanced to the Carabao Cup fourth round, with Newcastle beating Manchester City 1-0 and Burnley winning 4-0 against Salford City. While Burnley's chances of a high-scoring Premier League win like Newcastle's are slim, they showcased strong goal-scoring in the Carabao Cup.

Key players for Burnley included Berge, Larsen, O'Shea, and Odobert, with Zaroury providing three assists. Burnley have had an extra day of rest, face a Newcastle side that have lacked attacking prowess and have been inconsistent, this season. Their defense has improved under manager Eddie Howe since taking over in 2022

We believe that Newcastle will be too much for Premier League Returners Burnley and they will edge this on and we expect Newcastle to secure all three points.

Man Utd vs Crystal Palace – Man Utd

Manchester United and Crystal Palace face each other at Old Trafford for the second time this week with this game in the Premier League.

The Red Devils secured a convincing 3-0 win over Palace on Wednesday and are aiming for their third consecutive victory in all competitions this month. After a rough start to September, Erik ten Hag’s side rebounded with two important wins against Burnley in the Premier League and Palace in the Carabao Cup. They currently sit ninth in the Premier League, five points behind the top four, and are eager to reestablish their home form after a 31-game unbeaten run was ended by Brighton & Hove Albion. The hosts have a strong record against Palace at home, winning 13 of their last 16 top-flight meetings. 

On the other hand, Crystal Palace have struggled in recent games, failing to win their last three matches in all competitions. Their performances included a 3-1 loss to Aston Villa and their Carabao Cup exit on Tuesday night, where they had limited possession and few shots on goal. 

The pressure is on Man United to build on their dominant midweek performance with another victory. Anything less would be seen as a setback for the Red Devils, so ten Hag is expected to field a stronger side increasing their chances of securing all three points.

Huddersfield vs Ipswich – Ipswich 

Darren Moore, the new manager of Huddersfield Town, is preparing for his first home game as they host Ipswich Town in the Sky Bet Championship and this promises to be no easy game against high flyers Ipswich. 

Huddersfield will be looking to continue their recent good form, which includes salvaging a late point in Moore's debut match against Coventry City. However, the challenge will be difficult as they face Ipswich Town, a team that has been performing impressively in their first season back in the Championship after securing promotion from Sky Bet League One.

The Tractor Boys finished second in League One last season in a highly competitive promotion race, largely credited to their manager, Kieran McKenna, who was in his first senior managerial role. In midweek, they knocked out Premier League team Wolves in the Carabao Cup. 

They have continued their success this season, winning seven out of their first eight Championship fixtures and currently holding the second position in the league standings ahead of the upcoming match against Huddersfield.

This game could be over before half time if Huddersfield aren’t on their game. We predict Ipswich to win this and continue their fine form

Watford vs Middlesbrough – Watford 

Our final leg in the FavFour sees Middlesbrough travel to take on Watford at Vicarage Road. 

Watford will be aiming to recover from their recent heavy defeat to Leeds United as they currently sit 16th in the Championship table, with only one win in seven games after a promising start to the season. Despite a three-match unbeaten run before their loss to Leeds, their defense has become vulnerable, conceding eight goals in four matches. 

Middlesbrough, although still in the relegation zone, have shown signs of improvement. They collected four points from recent matches against Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton, boosting morale at the Riverside Stadium. While recent form might favor Middlesbrough, caution is advised against getting too carried away by their short-term success. 

We predict that home advantage will be critical for this game and believe that Watford will edge this.